Amended in Senate August 19, 2014

Amended in Senate July 2, 2014

Amended in Assembly May 1, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 21, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2016

Introduced by Assembly Member Campos

February 20, 2014

An act to add Section 51900.6 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2016, as amended, Campos. Pupil instruction: sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to prepare and distribute to school districts guidelines for the preparation of comprehensive health education plans, and requires approval of district plans to be made in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the state board.

This bill would require the begin delete State Board of Education, end delete begin insert state board, end insert based upon the recommendations of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to consider including age-appropriate content for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and begin delete prevention, including information on available counseling and resources for children who are sexually abused, end delete begin insert prevention end insert in the next revision of the health content standards. The bill would also require the state board, based upon recommendations by the commission, to consider including age-appropriate content standards for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and begin delete prevention, including information on available counseling and resources for children who are sexually abused, end delete begin insert prevention end insert in the Health Framework for California Public Schools when next revised.

The bill would authorize school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide age-appropriate instruction, pursuant to the content standards adopted by the state board, for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention. The bill would provide a procedure for excusing a pupil from that instruction.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 51900.6 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

51900.6.  

(a) (1) The state board shall, based upon
recommendations by the Superintendent, consider including
age-appropriate content for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive, in sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and
begin delete prevention, including information on available counseling and
resources for children who are sexually abused, end delete begin insert prevention end insert in the
next revision of the health content standards.

(2) The state board shall, based upon recommendations by the
Instructional Quality Commission, consider including information
in sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and begin delete prevention,
including information on available counseling and resources for
children who are sexually abused, end delete begin insert prevention end insert in the Health
Framework for California Public Schools when next revised.

(b) (1) School districts, county offices of education, and charter
schools may provide age-appropriate instruction, pursuant to the
content standards adopted by the state board under subdivision
(a), for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, as applicable,
in sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention.

(2) Upon written request of the pupil’s parent or legal guardian,
a pupil in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, shall be excused
from taking instruction in sexual abuse and sexual assault
awareness and prevention established pursuant to this section.